Brunei country profile - BBC News BBC News Read more about sharing. Close share panel The tiny state of Brunei has one of the world's highest standards of living thanks to its bountiful oil and gas reserves. Its ruling royals, led by the head of state Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, possess a huge private fortune and its largely ethnic-Malay population enjoy generous state handouts and pay no taxes. A British protectorate since 1888, Brunei was the only Malay state in 1963 which chose to remain so rather than join the federation that became Malaysia. Full independence came relatively late in 1984. Despite a significant non-Muslim minority presence in the country and strong condemnation from international rights group, in 2014 Brunei became the first East Asian country to adopt strict Islamic sharia law which allows punishment such as stoning for adultery and amputation for theft.

Area 5,765 sq km (2,226 sq miles) Major languages Malay, English, Chinese Ethnicity 65% ethnic Malay, 10% Chinese Religious make-up 78% Muslim, 8% Christian, 7% Buddhist Life expectancy 76 years (men), 81 years (women) UN, World Bank, CIA World Factbook GETTY IMAGES LEADER Image copyright Getty Images The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is one of the world's longest-reigning and few remaining absolute monarchs. He was crowned in August 1968 following the abdication of his father, Sir Haji Omar Ali Saifuddin. Upon Brunei's independence in 1984, he appointed himself prime minister and in 1991, introduced an ideology called Malay Muslim Monarchy, which presented the monarch as the defender of the faith. He is one of the world's richest individuals and in a country where the standard of living is high, appears to enjoy genuine popularity amongst his subjects. More recently however, he has faced criticism over the introduction of Islamic Sharia law in the country.

Image copyright Kfm Image caption KRISTALfm is a private music station Brunei's media are neither diverse nor free. The private press is either owned or controlled by the royal family. Media are subject to self-censorship on political and religious matters and a press law provides prison terms of up to three years for reporting "false news". Access to the internet is said to be unrestricted. TIMELINE Some key dates in Brunei's history: 15th century - Islamic sultanate of Brunei nominally in control of Borneo, including Sabah and Sarawak state of Malaysia, and some parts of the Sulu islands in the Philippines. 1888 - Brunei becomes a British protectorate. 1963 - Brunei chooses to remain a British dependency rather than join the Federation of Malaysia. 1967 - Hassanal Bolkiah becomes sultan following the abdication of his father, Sultan Omar. 1984 - Brunei becomes independent. 2014 - Brunei becomes the first East Asian country to adopt Islamic sharia law despite widespread international condemnation.

Brunei Bans Public Christmas Celebrations (Santa Hats Included) Brunei Bans Public Christmas Celebrations (Santa Hats Included) by Simon Kent 21 Dec 2015 0 21 Dec, 2015 21 Dec, 2015 SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER Christmas won’t be coming to the tiny oil-rich nation of Brunei this year. It has been officially banned by government edict. Muslims seen indulging in traditional Christmas festivities and non-Muslims found to be organising events in the south-east Asian island state face up to five years jail under new laws first unveiled last December. There is some relief for the country’s non-Muslims, who comprise 32 per cent of the 420,000 population; they can enjoy Christmas in their own communities on the condition that the celebrations are not disclosed to Muslims and no festive Santa Claus hats are worn in public or seasonal greeting cards are sent. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER REUTERS/Ahim Rani Imams informed followers of the news following a government edict banning celebrations, as directed by leader Sultan Hassanal Bolkiahhat (pictured right).

He says they could lead Muslims astray and damage their faith, according to the Borneo Bulletin. “These enforcement measures are … intended to control the act of celebrating Christmas excessively and openly, which could damage the aqidah (beliefs) of the Muslim community,” the Ministry of Religious Affairs ruled in an edict published by the newspaper. The statement said non-Muslims disclosing or displaying Christmas celebrations violated the penal code which prohibits propagating religion other than Islam to a Muslim. The newspaper quotes imams saying in a Friday sermon that lighting candles, putting up Christmas trees, singing religious songs, sending Christmas greetings and putting up decorations are against Islamic Sharia law. “Some may think that it is a frivolous matter and should not be brought up as an issue,” the imams are quoted as saying.

“But as Muslims … we must keep it (following other religions’ celebrations) away as it could affect our Islamic faith.” The former British colony, which gained independence in 1984, sparked international outcry last April when it became the first south-east Asian nation to adopt Islamic law at a national level, raising fears that other nearby countries with a significant Muslim population such as Indonesia or Malaysia might be tempted to follow Brunei’s lead as the region becomes increasingly conservative, according to Reuters . The law, rolled out in phases, will apply to both Muslims and non-Muslims in the country. This year’s banning of Christmas is an extension of the government’s desire to have Brunei cleansed of all non-Islamic influences. Whipping and amputations as punishment for theft and alcohol consumption by Muslims took effect in April this year, and the final phase of death penalties, including stoning, will be introduced next year for offences including adultery, sodomy and insulting the Koran or Muhammad. Sultan Bolkiah has driven the imposition of Sharia, saying it would be implemented in three tranches, culminating in 2016, thus making Brunei the first and only country in the region to introduce Sharia law into its penal code.

As Breitbart News reported , this has prompted boycotts and protests at hotels he owns in the United Kingdom and the United States, including the Beverly Hills Hotel. Follow Simon Kent on Twitter: Follow @SunSimonKent or e-mail to: skent@breitbart.com Brunei first East Asian country to adopt Sharia law | Daily Mail Online Brunei is to become the first East Asian country to adopt Sharia law despite international criticism. Sharia punishments will include severing of limbs for theft and death by stoning for adulterers and will be introduced over a period of three years. The tiny state on the island of Borneo is ruled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and relies on oil and gas exports for its prosperity. Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah last week introduced the Sharia Penal Code which condemns homosexuals to death by stoning Almost three-quarters of those who live in Brunei are Malay Muslims but there are also Buddhist and Christian communities. The move was announced by the 67-year-old sultan.

He said: 'Today I place my faith in and am grateful to Allah the almighty to announce that tomorrow, Thursday, May 1 2014, will see the enforcement of Sharia law phase one, to be followed by the other phases.' Share this article Share From tomorrow people will face conviction by Islamic courts and fines or jail terms for offences like pregnancy outside marriage, failure to perform Friday prayers and propagating other religions. A second phase comes into effect 12 months later covering offences for theft and alcohol consumption by Muslims, punishable by whipping and amputations. Almost three-quarters of those who live in Brunei are Malay Muslims but there are also Buddhist and Christian communities The death penalty, including by stoning, will be introduced in the final phase a year later for offences including adultery, sodomy and insulting the Koran or the Prophet Muhammad. Most of the laws will also apply to non-Muslims. That raises concern among Western workers in the oil sector and tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese Bruneians and 30,000 mostly Roman Catholic Filipino migrant workers. About 20 per cent of residents are non-Muslim, including substantial Buddhist and Christian communities.

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights denounced the new system for applying the death penalty to a wide range of offences. Several of the penalties constitute torture under international law, said Emerlynne Gil, Southeast Asia legal adviser for the International Commission of Jurists. U.S. television personality Ellen DeGeneres (right) and British actor Stephen Fry (left) have said they will boycott the hotel chain owned by the sultan 'A lot of these provisions and penalties discriminate against women. Stoning to death normally has a huge impact on women because more often than not they are found guilty of these crimes.' This week celebrities, including U.S. television personality Ellen DeGeneres and British actor Stephen Fry, announced will be boycotting the hotel chain owned by the sultan on grounds that the new laws criminalised homosexuality. The Dorchester Collection of hotels is owned by the Sultan of Brunei. American shoe designer Brian Atwood and fashion designer Peter Som are mobilising the fashion industry to boycott The Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles which are the only U.S. hotels that are part of The Dorchester Collection. Gay rights organisations in the Asia Pacific have condemned the move to Sharia law.

'It may open the floodgates for further human rights violations against women, children, and other people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity,' two such groups wrote in the Malaysian Insider. 'Penalty by death sentence contravenes several international human rights laws. Luxury retreat: Coworth Park is owned by The Dorchester Collection, along with two London hotels 'Further, death by stoning constitutes torture or other cruel, degrading and inhumane acts of punishment, thus a clear infringement of international humanitarian principles and universal human rights.' A Christian priest in Brunei said he was concerned by the development, but hoped the new system would be enforced less strictly than set down in the written law. 'They have been giving seminars to different groups to clarify,' said the priest, who declined to be identified. Authorities, he said 'seem genuinely concerned' at suggestions that the system would have an all- pervasive enforcement network. Brunei's top Islamic scholar denied any suggestion the system would lead to extremes, persecution or cruelty. 'It is not indiscriminate cutting or stoning or caning', Awang Abdul Aziz was quoted as saying by state media after the law was announced.

'There are conditions and there are methods that are just and fair.' Tweeting his opinion: Stephen Fry told his followers he had cancelled his trip Brunei officials have said there will be a high burden of proof required to sentence suspects to harsher punishments. They say criminal cases rose by a third between 2000 and 2008. Arrests for drug abuse surged 50 per cent last year from 2012. Diplomats say it remains unclear how the new system will work in practice and operate alongside the police and courts under the existing British-based legal system. The religious turn taken by the sultan contrasts with a reputation for decadent excess gained by the royal family. Pop idol Michael Jackson was paid a reported $17 million to give a concert in Brunei in 1996 to mark the sultan's 50th birthday. Details of the lavish lifestyle of the sultan's brother, former finance minister Prince Jefri, including owning hundreds of luxury cars and a large yacht - became public during a family legal feud.

Fashion favourite: Designers are boycotting the LA hotel that is also owned by The Dorchester Collection Critics say the new penal code will give authorities expanded powers to stifle dissent at a time when palace officials are concerned about dwindling energy reserves. 'A common concern among the palace elite is that the gas is going to run out. The population's loyalty has been bought with gas money,' said Maung Zarni, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics who quit the Darussalam Brunei University in 2013 over what he said was a lack of academic freedom. Responding to a rare outbreak of dissent on social media, the sultan warned in February that anyone criticising the new laws could be punished under their provisions. Leaders of Malaysia's Islamist PAS party, part of the opposition, say the move has accelerated their bid to install sharia punishments in Kelantan state, which they control. In Indonesia, some districts have sharia-inspired by-laws but Aceh is the only province allowed to implement it as law. The province has its own sharia police force and courts that enforce strict laws against gambling, promiscuity and alcohol.

Brunei adopts sharia law, others in region consider it | Reuters Tue Apr 29, 2014 | 5:02 PM EDT Brunei adopts sharia law, others in region consider it Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the annual Boao Forum in Boao, in southern China's Hainan province April 7, 2013. Reuters/Alexander F. Yuan/Pool By Stuart Grudgings | KUALA LUMPUR KUALA LUMPUR The sultanate of Brunei this week becomes the first East Asian country to introduce Islamic criminal law, the latest example of a deepening religious conservatism that has also taken root in parts of neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia. Brunei, a tiny former British protectorate of about 400,000 nestled between two Malaysian states on Borneo island, relies on oil and gas exports for its prosperity, with annual per capita income of nearly $50,000. It is the first country in east Asia to adopt the criminal component of sharia at a national level.

Run by Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, 67, Brunei has no national elections, but any discontent has been assuaged by high, tax-free incomes and benefits like free education and health care. By 2035, though, Brunei's net exports of oil and gas will almost halve, according to the Asian Development Bank. Efforts to diversify the economy have made limited progress. The sultan, said by diplomats to have become more religious, announced the introduction of sharia as a "great achievement". From Wednesday, residents of the country dominated by Malay Muslims face conviction by Islamic courts and fines or jail terms for offences like pregnancy outside marriage, failure to perform Friday prayers, and propagating other religions. A second phase comes into effect 12 months later covering offences for theft and alcohol consumption by Muslims, punishable by whipping and amputations. The death penalty, including by stoning, will be introduced in the final phase a year later for offences including adultery, sodomy and insulting the Koran or the Prophet Muhammad. Most of the laws will also apply to non-Muslims.

That raises concern among Western workers in the oil sector and tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese Bruneians and 30,000 mostly Roman Catholic Filipino migrant workers. About 20 percent of residents are non-Muslim, including substantial Buddhist and Christian communities. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights denounced the new system for applying the death penalty to a wide range of offences. Several of the penalties constitute torture under international law, said Emerlynne Gil, Southeast Asia legal adviser for the International Commission of Jurists. "A lot of these provisions and penalties discriminate against women. Stoning to death normally has a huge impact on women because more often than not they are found guilty of these crimes," Gil told Reuters. U.S. news reports this week said celebrities, including U.S. television personality Ellen DeGeneres and British actor Stephen Fry, had launched a boycott of a hotel chain owned by the sultan on grounds that the new laws criminalized homosexuality. Brunei's religious affairs ministry, which is coordinating the implementation of the new laws, did not respond to Reuters request for comment. A Christian priest in Brunei contacted by Reuters said he was concerned by the development, but hoped the new system would be enforced less strictly than set down in the written law.

"They have been giving seminars to different groups to clarify," said the priest, who declined to be identified. Authorities, he said, "seem genuinely concerned" at suggestions that the system would have an all-pervasive enforcement network. EXPERT SAYS NO EXTREMES Brunei's top Islamic scholar denied any suggestion the system would lead to extremes, persecution or cruelty. "It is not indiscriminate cutting or stoning or caning," Awang Abdul Aziz was quoted as saying by state media after the law was announced. "There are conditions and there are methods that are just and fair." Brunei officials have said there will be a high burden of proof required to sentence suspects to harsher punishments. They say criminal cases rose by a third between 2000 and 2008. Arrests for drug abuse surged 50 percent last year from 2012. Diplomats say it remains unclear how the new system will work in practice and operate alongside the police and courts under the existing British-based legal system. The religious turn taken by the sultan contrasts with a reputation for decadent excess gained by the royal family.

Late pop idol Michael Jackson was paid a reported $17 million to give a concert in Brunei in 1996 to mark the sultan's 50th birthday. Details of the lavish lifestyle of the sultan's brother, former finance minister Prince Jefri, including owning hundreds of luxury cars and a large yacht - became public during a family legal feud. Critics say the new penal code will give authorities expanded powers to stifle dissent at a time when palace officials are concerned about dwindling energy reserves. "A common concern among the palace elite is that the gas is going to run out. The population's loyalty has been bought with gas money," said Maung Zarni, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics who quit the Darussalam Brunei University in 2013 over what he said was a lack of academic freedom. Responding to a rare outbreak of dissent on social media, the sultan warned in February that anyone criticizing the new laws could be punished under their provisions. Strengthening the governing principle of "Malay Islamic Monarchy", he said, was a crucial "firewall" against globalization, he said.

Leaders of Malaysia's Islamist PAS party, part of the opposition, say the move has accelerated their bid to install sharia punishments in Kelantan state, which they control. A PAS plan to introduce a bill is sowing divisions within the opposition, with critics saying it would be at odds with Malaysia's secular national constitution. In Indonesia, some districts have sharia-inspired bylaws but Aceh is the only province allowed to implement it as law. The province has its own sharia police force and courts that enforce strict laws against gambling, promiscuity and alcohol. (Additional reporting by Malai Hassan Othman in Bandar Seri Begawan; Editing by Simon Webb and Ron Popeski) ADVERTISEMENT The Support for Sharia Law Around the World | The Counter Jihad Report The Counter Jihad Report The Support for Sharia Law Around the World Posted on By Rachel Molschky : Sharia law is gaining ground across the world. An overwhelming majority of Muslims support the implementation of Islamic law in Muslim countries, in non-Muslim countries- in any country where they live.

The mainstream media wants us to believe that Muslims are well integrated, and only jihadists go around terrorizing people and subjugating them to Sharia law, like the new report of a jihadist group in Libya which now hopes to take over the town of Derna and enforce Sharia. “We also declare our hostility towards the enemies of G-d and His prophet — Jews, Christians and Taghouts.” (“Taghouts” are apparently non-Sharia compliant state institutions.) While groups like this one and the Sharia-based Taliban are viewed as dangerous and militant, in varying degrees, Sharia law is the norm in nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan. Many other Islamic nations implement at least part of Sharia law in their governments, and more are following suit. This past fall, Brunei became the first East Asian State to fully adopt Sharia law and begin following a Saudi Arabia-style penal code. Ankit Panda of The Diplomat writes , “… some commentators have suggested that such strict Sharia law may be in conflict with Malay culture, and Brunei’s peaceful nature.

Brunei, officially known as the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace, might find itself hard-pressed to retain that moniker with its foray into such a draconian legal system.” Funny how implementing the laws of the “Religion of Peace” onto the “Abode of Peace” is not very peaceful! The adherents of this supposed “Religion of Peace” have declared their full support of Sharia on a global scale. A Pew study done in 2013 , asked Muslims from 23 countries across Southeastern Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Middle East, their views on Sharia. The study found that “in 17 of the 23 countries where the question was asked, at least half of Muslims say sharia is the revealed word of G-d.” The top four in this group were Pakistan, where 81% believe this, Jordan which tied with Pakistan, and Egypt and the Palestinian territories, each with 75%. Yet nearly all the Muslims surveyed either believe that it is the revealed word of G-d, or was developed by men but based on the word of G-d. There really is not much distinction between the two. Either way, they believe it is inspired by G-d.

Looking at the complete numbers this way, the percent of Sharia supporters in the very same countries are 89% in Pakistan, 99% in Jordan, 95% in Egypt and 91% in the Palestinian territories. In Afghanistan where Western countries have fought hard against the Taliban, which “inflicts” its strict Sharia rules onto the “poor, non-extremist” Muslim population, it turns out that 94% of Muslims there support Sharia law after all. But who wants to make Sharia the official law of their country? According to the survey results, the overwhelming majority of Muslims in Southeast Asia (like Malaysia at 86%), South Asia (Afghanistan 99% and Pakistan 84%), the Middle East and North Africa (the highest being Iraq at 91% and the Palestinian territories at 89%), and Sub-Saharan Africa (with the biggest supporter being the Muslims of Niger.) So what’s the big deal over Sharia law anyway? Shouldn’t every religion have the right to follow its own laws? Well, not exactly. Not when the laws of the religion conflict dramatically with the laws of the land.

In the case of Sharia, the laws are incompatible with Western society, which is largely based on a common Judeo-Christian culture. Other religions besides Judaism and Christianity often share a similar moral foundation, making it easier for their adherents to assimilate. Islam, however, fails miserably. Most Muslims who integrate well into our Western culture are secular, but fundamentalism is a growing trend and is more of a normality among Muslims than among other religious groups. This explains why the global support for Sharia among Muslims is so high. What is Sharia? Read more at Cherson and Molschky Also see: Beverly Hills City Council Confronts Brunei, Owner Of Now-Boycotted Beverly Hills Hotel, Over Sharia Law; Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno Protest Beverly Hills City Council Confronts Brunei, Owner Of Now-Boycotted Beverly Hills Hotel, Over Sharia Law; Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno Protest 05/07/14 AT 7:18 AM Close The Beverly Hills City Council has passed a resolution criticizing Brunei for implementing Sharia law, the latest in a string of protests that includes a boycott of one of Brunei's most prestigious U.S. properties, the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Last week Brunei became the first East Asian nation to adopt a Sharia penal code, something that has drawn criticism from the U.S. government. The new legal code was reportedly introduced by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and calls for death by stoning for homosexuals and adulterers. "The City of Beverly Hills strongly condemns the government of Brunei as well as other governments which engage in similar policies for adopting laws that impose extreme and inhumane penalties including execution by stoning, flogging and severing of limbs," the city council's resolution states. "The City of Beverly Hills urges the government of Brunei to divest itself of the Beverly Hills Hotel and any other properties it may own in Beverly Hills." The Beverly Hills Hotel, which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei, is seen during a protest over Brunei's strict sharia law penal code in Beverly Hills, California, May 5, 2014. The sultanate of Brunei in April became the first East Asian country to introduce Islamic criminal law, the latest example of a deepening religious conservatism that has also taken root in parts of neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia. Picture taken May 5, 2014.

Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Alcorn TV personality Jay Leno (C) attends a rally protesting against Brunei's new strict sharia law penal code outside the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei, in Beverly Hills, California, on May 5, 2014. The sultanate of Brunei becomes the first East Asian country to introduce Islamic criminal law, the latest example of a deepening religious conservatism that has also taken root in parts of neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia. Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Alcorn Previous Next TV personalities Ellen DeGeneres and Jay Leno plus British entrepreneur Richard Branson have been the most prominent figures to protest the ownership of the hotel, a favored locale for Hollywood, California, elites since it opened more than a century ago, and against other hotels owned by Brunei's government.

Lili Bosse, mayor of Beverly Hills, reportedly said that she made a “personal decision” not to return to the hotel and called the planned laws in Brunei “shocking and inhumane.” She also added that the laws “must be met with a strong statement of support for the human rights of the people of Brunei.” Bolkiah reportedly praised his country’s new law as a “great achievement” last week, saying, “The decision to implement the (Shariah penal code) is not for fun but is to obey Allah's command as written in the Quran." The Motion Picture & Television Fund reportedly said that it would no longer hold its annual "Night Before the Oscars" party at the hotel as it has for many years. "We cannot condone or tolerate these harsh and repressive laws and as a result support a business owned by the sultan of Brunei or a Brunei sovereign fund associated with the government of Brunei," the fund's directors reportedly said in a statement.

Others boycotting the Sultan's hotels include Richard Branson's Virgin Group, the Hollywood Reporter, which holds a starry media breakfast at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and the Feminist Majority Foundation, which moved its annual Global Women's Rights Awards on Monday from the Beverly Hills Hotel to the nearby Hammer Museum. More groups joined the boycott Tuesday, including the International Women's Media Foundation, which hosted its October ceremony for the Courage in Journalism Awards from the hotel. Music mogul Clive Davis moved out of the Beverly Hills Hotel over the weekend as a result of the Sultan’s actions, a source told FOX411, but his representative reportedly declined to make any comment. The Beverly Hills Hotel is one of 10 luxury hotels owned by the Dorchester Collection, which is controlled by the Brunei Investment Agency, an arm of the Ministry of Finance of Brunei. Amid protests against the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Dorchester Collection CEO said that the hotel was being wrongly targeted. "There are other hotel companies in this city that are owned by Saudi Arabia ... you know, your shirt probably comes from a country which has human rights issues," Christopher Cowdray said, according to Reuters.

"So to single out the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Dorchester Collection, and in particular our employees, I feel is very unjust." Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights advocacy group, called on the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel-Air, both owned by Dorchester Collection, to stop promoting special services for same-sex weddings, now legal in California, at the hotels, owned by the Sultan of Brunei and his Brunei Investment Agency. "The Sultan is offering free strawberries to LGBT couples in L.A. and death by stoning to those in Brunei," Chad Griffin, the president of the group, said in a statement . "This is the height of hypocrisy, and we must ensure that profits from LGBT weddings in the U.S. stop going to a regime that could soon start executing its LGBT citizens." Brunei Imposes Controversial Sharia Law Nationwide | VICE News Brunei Imposes Controversial Sharia Law Nationwide Photo via Watchsmart April 30, 2014 | 4:30 pm Brunei has become the first east Asian country to adopt Sharia criminal law nationwide.

"Theory states that God's law is harsh and unfair, but God himself has said that his law is indeed fair," the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said today. According to the first phase of the law, those who have a child out of wedlock, fail to pray on Friday or promote religions other than Islam will be forced to go before an Islamic court and could face jail time or fines. The second phase is set to be implemented a year from now and includes whippings and amputations for crimes such as alcohol consumption and theft. A year after that, those who commit adultery, sodomy or insult the Prophet Muhammad could face a death sentence. Brunei, a tiny nation with a population less than the city of Boston, is about 70 percent Malay Muslim and has at least a 15 percent ethnic Chinese non-Muslim minority. It is one of the wealthiest countries per capita in the world, relying heavily on natural gas and oil exports for its income. Although it is the first east Asian country to fully adopt the criminal component of Sharia law on a national scale, it is the latest instance of rising religious conservatism in the region. Various forms of Sharia law already exist in both Indonesia and Malaysia.

Brunei will implement Sharia Law, but its rich population isn't too concerned. Read more here. What Is Brunei's Sharia Law? Until today, Brunei’s judicial system had been governed by civil law, left over from its days as a British protectorate. Sharia law had already existed in the country in various capacities but was primarily relegated to social customs and familial matters for Muslims. The sultan’s decision now applies Sharia law to all citizens of the country, Muslim or otherwise. The Brunei Times reported that the introduction of Sharia “reflects the pious monarch’s love for Islam and keenness to seek pleasure of Allah. The step is necessary to ensure that the country’s criminal law is in line with Syariah [Sharia] as directed by Allah.” The announcement did not come entirely as a surprise. The government of Brunei has been gradually imposing more restrictions on social and civil life in recent months. A senior judicial official announced in February that “indecent behavior” would be illegal under Sharia law for both Muslims and non-Muslims and punishment would include a fine or imprisonment.

The United Nations Human Rights has condemned the sultan’s decision, saying it was “deeply concerned.” Punishment by stoning constitutes torture and cruel and unusual punishment under international law. Other critics of the new legal system in Brunei have voiced their concerns on social media in recent months but were quickly silenced after the sultan reminded the country that those who openly criticized the law could also face harsh punishment. In 1996, Michael Jackson performed for the sultan’s 50th birthday, a performance that could now be illegal under this new legal code. Follow Olivia Becker on Twitter: Brunei adopts sharia law, others in region consider it | Reuters Tue Apr 29, 2014 | 10:04 PM BST Brunei adopts sharia law, others in region consider it Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the annual Boao Forum in Boao, in southern China's Hainan province April 7, 2013. Reuters/Alexander F.

Yuan/Pool By Stuart Grudgings | KUALA LUMPUR KUALA LUMPUR The sultanate of Brunei this week becomes the first East Asian country to introduce Islamic criminal law, the latest example of a deepening religious conservatism that has also taken root in parts of neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia. Brunei, a tiny former British protectorate of about 400,000 nestled between two Malaysian states on Borneo island, relies on oil and gas exports for its prosperity, with annual per capita income of nearly $50,000 (29,715 pounds). It is the first country in east Asia to adopt the criminal component of sharia at a national level. Run by Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, 67, Brunei has no national elections, but any discontent has been assuaged by high, tax-free incomes and benefits like free education and health care. By 2035, though, Brunei's net exports of oil and gas will almost halve, according to the Asian Development Bank. Efforts to diversify the economy have made limited progress.

The sultan, said by diplomats to have become more religious, announced the introduction of sharia as a "great achievement". From Wednesday, residents of the country dominated by Malay Muslims face conviction by Islamic courts and fines or jail terms for offences like pregnancy outside marriage, failure to perform Friday prayers, and propagating other religions. A second phase comes into effect 12 months later covering offences for theft and alcohol consumption by Muslims, punishable by whipping and amputations. The death penalty, including by stoning, will be introduced in the final phase a year later for offences including adultery, sodomy and insulting the Koran or the Prophet Muhammad. Most of the laws will also apply to non-Muslims. That raises concern among Western workers in the oil sector and tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese Bruneians and 30,000 mostly Roman Catholic Filipino migrant workers. About 20 percent of residents are non-Muslim, including substantial Buddhist and Christian communities. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights denounced the new system for applying the death penalty to a wide range of offences. Several of the penalties constitute torture under international law, said Emerlynne Gil, Southeast Asia legal adviser for the International Commission of Jurists.

"A lot of these provisions and penalties discriminate against women. Stoning to death normally has a huge impact on women because more often than not they are found guilty of these crimes," Gil told Reuters. U.S. news reports this week said celebrities, including U.S. television personality Ellen DeGeneres and British actor Stephen Fry, had launched a boycott of a hotel chain owned by the sultan on grounds that the new laws criminalised homosexuality. Brunei's religious affairs ministry, which is coordinating the implementation of the new laws, did not respond to Reuters request for comment. A Christian priest in Brunei contacted by Reuters said he was concerned by the development, but hoped the new system would be enforced less strictly than set down in the written law. "They have been giving seminars to different groups to clarify," said the priest, who declined to be identified. Authorities, he said, "seem genuinely concerned" at suggestions that the system would have an all-pervasive enforcement network. EXPERT SAYS NO EXTREMES Brunei's top Islamic scholar denied any suggestion the system would lead to extremes, persecution or cruelty. "It is not indiscriminate cutting or stoning or caning," Awang Abdul Aziz was quoted as saying by state media after the law was announced.

"There are conditions and there are methods that are just and fair." Brunei officials have said there will be a high burden of proof required to sentence suspects to harsher punishments. They say criminal cases rose by a third between 2000 and 2008. Arrests for drug abuse surged 50 percent last year from 2012. Diplomats say it remains unclear how the new system will work in practice and operate alongside the police and courts under the existing British-based legal system. The religious turn taken by the sultan contrasts with a reputation for decadent excess gained by the royal family. Late pop idol Michael Jackson was paid a reported $17 million to give a concert in Brunei in 1996 to mark the sultan's 50th birthday. Details of the lavish lifestyle of the sultan's brother, former finance minister Prince Jefri, including owning hundreds of luxury cars and a large yacht - became public during a family legal feud. Critics say the new penal code will give authorities expanded powers to stifle dissent at a time when palace officials are concerned about dwindling energy reserves. "A common concern among the palace elite is that the gas is going to run out.

The population's loyalty has been bought with gas money," said Maung Zarni, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics who quit the Darussalam Brunei University in 2013 over what he said was a lack of academic freedom. Responding to a rare outbreak of dissent on social media, the sultan warned in February that anyone criticising the new laws could be punished under their provisions. Strengthening the governing principle of "Malay Islamic Monarchy", he said, was a crucial "firewall" against globalisation, he said. Leaders of Malaysia's Islamist PAS party, part of the opposition, say the move has accelerated their bid to install sharia punishments in Kelantan state, which they control. A PAS plan to introduce a bill is sowing divisions within the opposition, with critics saying it would be at odds with Malaysia's secular national constitution. In Indonesia, some districts have sharia-inspired bylaws but Aceh is the only province allowed to implement it as law. The province has its own sharia police force and courts that enforce strict laws against gambling, promiscuity and alcohol.

(Additional reporting by Malai Hassan Othman in Bandar Seri Begawan; Editing by Simon Webb and Ron Popeski) ADVERTISEMENT Brunei Told New Penal Code Violates Human Rights | The Diplomat Brunei Told New Penal Code Violates Human Rights Under Sharia law, Bruneians could be stoned to death or have limbs amputated for committing crimes. By Luke Hunt for The Diplomat January 29, 2014 Brunei’s push to introduce Sharia law and deliver the extremely wealthy Muslim sultanate into legal territory more akin with Taliban thinking has been ruled incompatible with international human rights law by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). The ICJ also described the laws and severe punishments, which will come into force in April, as a backward step , particularly for women who have “more risk of receiving this penalty because they are most likely to be found guilty of adultery or having engaged in extra-marital sexual relations.” Under the Sharia penal code the tough revised laws criminalizes extra-marital affairs, consensual gay sex and also re-introduces the death penalty by stoning and amputations for thieves, ending a long-standing moratorium. Enjoying this article?

Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month. Brunei announced the re-introduction of the laws in October, shortly after the tiny island state ended its 12-month term as chairman of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Critics argue the decision was timed to limit international criticism of the archaic medieval laws. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has said the Sharia Penal Code would only apply to Muslims and should be regarded as a form of “special guidance” from God. About two-thirds of Brunei’s 420,000-strong population is Muslim. Brunei became the first state in East Asia to impose Sharia law, beating even Malaysia which holds dear to its dubious claims of being secular. This will challenge ASEAN and its plans to launch an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), partially modeled on the European Union, by the end of next year. In a letter to the Brunei government, the ICJ said the new legislation was not compatible with international human rights law. ICJ’s international adviser Emerlynne Gil told Australian radio the laws were definitely a setback for Brunei and the region, particularly for a country that was on the road to achieving international human rights standards.

“We were very surprised that an ASEAN member is doing this, especially at this point in time, where the ASEAN is trying to demonstrate to the international community that it is able to develop human rights standards,” she said. The ICJ also noted that many crimes under the code would have a high burden of proof and that Sharia court judges would have discretion over punishments. Standing Islamic rules in Brunei have traditionally been more sternly enforced than in Malaysia and Indonesia and were imposed largely through the family courts. Its rules include a ban on alcohol and evangelism by other religions. Luke Hunt can be followed on Twitter at @lukeanthonyhunt . Topics Brunei adopts sharia law, others in region consider it Brunei adopts sharia law, others in region consider it Stuart Grudgings Pin it Share Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the annual Boao Forum in Boao, in southern China's Hainan province April 7, 2013. REUTERS/Alexander F.

Yuan/Pool More By Stuart Grudgings KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The sultanate of Brunei this week becomes the first East Asian country to introduce Islamic criminal law, the latest example of a deepening religious conservatism that has also taken root in parts of neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia. Brunei, a tiny former British protectorate of about 400,000 nestled between two Malaysian states on Borneo island, relies on oil and gas exports for its prosperity, with annual per capita income of nearly $50,000. It is the first country in east Asia to adopt the criminal component of sharia at a national level. Run by Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, 67, Brunei has no national elections, but any discontent has been assuaged by high, tax-free incomes and benefits like free education and health care. By 2035, though, Brunei's net exports of oil and gas will almost halve, according to the Asian Development Bank. Efforts to diversify the economy have made limited progress. The sultan, said by diplomats to have become more religious, announced the introduction of sharia as a "great achievement".

From Wednesday, residents of the country dominated by Malay Muslims face conviction by Islamic courts and fines or jail terms for offences like pregnancy outside marriage, failure to perform Friday prayers, and propagating other religions. A second phase comes into effect 12 months later covering offences for theft and alcohol consumption by Muslims, punishable by whipping and amputations. The death penalty, including by stoning, will be introduced in the final phase a year later for offences including adultery, sodomy and insulting the Koran or the Prophet Muhammad. Most of the laws will also apply to non-Muslims. That raises concern among Western workers in the oil sector and tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese Bruneians and 30,000 mostly Roman Catholic Filipino migrant workers. About 20 percent of residents are non-Muslim, including substantial Buddhist and Christian communities. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights denounced the new system for applying the death penalty to a wide range of offences. Several of the penalties constitute torture under international law, said Emerlynne Gil, Southeast Asia legal adviser for the International Commission of Jurists. "A lot of these provisions and penalties discriminate against women.

Stoning to death normally has a huge impact on women because more often than not they are found guilty of these crimes," Gil told Reuters. U.S. news reports this week said celebrities, including U.S. television personality Ellen DeGeneres and British actor Stephen Fry, had launched a boycott of a hotel chain owned by the sultan on grounds that the new laws criminalized homosexuality. Brunei's religious affairs ministry, which is coordinating the implementation of the new laws, did not respond to Reuters request for comment. A Christian priest in Brunei contacted by Reuters said he was concerned by the development, but hoped the new system would be enforced less strictly than set down in the written law. "They have been giving seminars to different groups to clarify," said the priest, who declined to be identified. Authorities, he said, "seem genuinely concerned" at suggestions that the system would have an all-pervasive enforcement network. EXPERT SAYS NO EXTREMES Brunei's top Islamic scholar denied any suggestion the system would lead to extremes, persecution or cruelty. "It is not indiscriminate cutting or stoning or caning," Awang Abdul Aziz was quoted as saying by state media after the law was announced.

"There are conditions and there are methods that are just and fair." Brunei officials have said there will be a high burden of proof required to sentence suspects to harsher punishments. They say criminal cases rose by a third between 2000 and 2008. Arrests for drug abuse surged 50 percent last year from 2012. Diplomats say it remains unclear how the new system will work in practice and operate alongside the police and courts under the existing British-based legal system. The religious turn taken by the sultan contrasts with a reputation for decadent excess gained by the royal family. Late pop idol Michael Jackson was paid a reported $17 million to give a concert in Brunei in 1996 to mark the sultan's 50th birthday. Details of the lavish lifestyle of the sultan's brother, former finance minister Prince Jefri, including owning hundreds of luxury cars and a large yacht - became public during a family legal feud. Critics say the new penal code will give authorities expanded powers to stifle dissent at a time when palace officials are concerned about dwindling energy reserves. "A common concern among the palace elite is that the gas is going to run out.

The population's loyalty has been bought with gas money," said Maung Zarni, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics who quit the Darussalam Brunei University in 2013 over what he said was a lack of academic freedom. Responding to a rare outbreak of dissent on social media, the sultan warned in February that anyone criticizing the new laws could be punished under their provisions. Strengthening the governing principle of "Malay Islamic Monarchy", he said, was a crucial "firewall" against globalization, he said. Leaders of Malaysia's Islamist PAS party, part of the opposition, say the move has accelerated their bid to install sharia punishments in Kelantan state, which they control. A PAS plan to introduce a bill is sowing divisions within the opposition, with critics saying it would be at odds with Malaysia's secular national constitution. In Indonesia, some districts have sharia-inspired bylaws but Aceh is the only province allowed to implement it as law. The province has its own sharia police force and courts that enforce strict laws against gambling, promiscuity and alcohol.

(Additional reporting by Malai Hassan Othman in Bandar Seri Begawan; Editing by Simon Webb and Ron Popeski) Reblog

Question: In April 2014, which tiny nation became the first East Asian country to adopt Islamic sharia law?
Answer: Brunei